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Tag: poll

  • Emmanuel: I won’t borrow at high interest rate for council poll

    Emmanuel: I won’t borrow at high interest rate for council poll

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has said his administration will not borrow from banks to conduct local government election due to high interest rates.

    The governor urged political parties to be patient on the conduct of the poll.

    He said his administration was not in a hurry to conduct the election because of the prevailing tight economic realities.

    Emmanuel spoke on Saturday night while addressing reporters on his second year anniversary in office and this year’s Democracy Day.

    The governor said, Akwa Ibom was not the only state having a challenge with the tier of government.

    He said once the economy improved, the government would conduct the poll.

    Since Emmanuel became governor in May, 2015, he has not conducted a local government election.

    The tier of government has been handled by transition or caretaker chairmen through committees.

    Emmanuel said: “It’s because of the prevailing economic situation, it’s because of recession. Once the economy improves, we will conduct elections. This government will not borrow money with high interest rate to conduct local government elections.

    “What if you set up a local government council and you don’t have money to run the council? In recession, you carefully direct where money should go to. Since the economy is improving, all that will be done.”

    The governor said his cardinal programmee on industrialisation was being pursued with vigour, adding that it had led to the inauguration of some industries and ground-breaking for new ones to mark his second year in office.

    He urged the people to show appreciation to his administration’s efforts at establishing small and medium scale industries.

    According to him, in many developed economies, such ventures drive their economies, create wealth and reduced unemployment.

    Emmanuel said: “In many economies, it is the small and medium scale industries that drive the economy. I keep wondering when I hear people criticising the establishment of the pencil and toothpick industries. Akwa Ibom people should be proud to be the first manufacturers of these products. The Federal Government has been spending millions of naira to import pencils.”

  • ADP strategises for Ekiti governorship poll

    The National Publicity Secretary of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Hon. Akeem Jimoh, has called on members of the party to work for success in the 2019 general elections.

    Jimoh, made the remarks at a meeting of the political association in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, when its supporters from the 16 local governments met to discuss the way forward. The association has applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registration.

    He promised that the party would emerge victorious in the next general election. He said: “We are the mega party that would sweep away the inefficient and uncoordinated leadership in the country due to bad leadership.”

    The ADP has scaled through the hurdles of registration by INEC and is currently waiting to get the nod of the commission to participate in future elections.

    The Ekiti State Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Abegunde, has advised members to be conscious in the choice of the candidates. He described some of the politicians as political harlots who will pretend to be a member of a party only to divulge the secret of the party to other parties.

    Abegunde noted that other political parties are cracked walls and their members would want to take advantage of the “mega party”.

    He said ADP  members must practice what  they preach, which is openness and love, saying only members who have a better understanding of their people, including the sufferings they are passing through at the moment, would be given an opportunity to contest on the platform of the ADP.

    Its  Publicity Secretary, Chief Eniola Eponlaye, said only like-mindeda people who have a burning desire to rescue the sinking Nigerian ship from the present rudderless, clueless, self-serving and deceitful cabals should be rejected during theelections.

    He said: “These cabals have destroyed our national ethics and values as virtually all our national prides have been eroded by the deceitful and wicked cabals marauding themselves as politicians. He said through the collusion of the political elite “there have been massive lootings of the treasury, unemployment, kidnapping, terrorism, armed-robbery, brain-drain, human-trafficking and the collapse of both social and economic infrastructures in a country that used to be the giant of Africa”.

    Some of the members of the ADP who spoke at the meeting commended INEC for taking the wisest decision so far to get the party registered.

  • LASIEC to spend N2b on poll

    LASIEC to spend N2b on poll

    Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) will spend N2billion on July 22 on local government election, its chairman, Justice Ayotunde Philips (rtd.) said yesterday.

    Justice Philips spoke when she visited Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja to fine-tune security arrangements for the poll.

    The government, she said, was committed to a free, fair and peaceful election, adding that nothing would be left to chance.

    Justice Philips, who said the commission’s security concerns had been discussed with Owoseni, stated that she was optimistic electoral officials and voters would be protected during the exercise.

    She warned residents against patronising fake Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) printers, noting that anyone caught with it would be prosecuted.

    The chairman said: “This visit is timely because the CP had met with the chairmen and secretaries of all the political parties. We have been told some of the concerns they raised and we would go back to the commission to discuss them.

    “LASIEC is committed to a free, fair and rancour free election. At the moment, we do not know how many political parties are contesting because they were yet to submit their nomination forms. But I can tell you the number would be between 0 and 40 because there are 40 registered political parties in the country.

    “We want police to ensure safety of voters and officials during the exercise. We have been working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to

    ensure that people receive their PVCs. We have engaged in some enlightenment campaigns, urging our people to go to local government or independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices to pick up his or her PVCs. No one would be allowed to vote without their PVC and residents should avoid patronising merchants of fake voter’s cards.

    “We are also working with INEC to ensure that cases of multiple voting are not allowed. Anyone caught with fake or cloned PVC would be prosecuted for fraud. N2 billion was earmarked for the election.”

    Owoseni promised that security agencies would ensure free and fair election.

    Speaking on the crisis that erupted at the All Progressives Party (APC) mock screening at Surulere Ward 1E, he said the party leadership has denied endorsing the exercise.

    He said: “At the meeting I had with representatives of all the parties on Tuesday, an APC leader who was there commented on the incident. He said the party leadership was not in support of the mock screening and that the idea was alien to them.

    “That crisis was one of the reasons we met with party leaders. Police record shows that one person was killed. Investigation is still ongoing. We would ensure whoever was involved is apprehended.”

  • Edo poll: PDP, Ize-Iyamu file 41 grounds of appeal

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in last September 28 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, have filed a 41-ground of appeal against the judgment of the lower tribunal.

    Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, had thrown out PDP’s and Ize-Iyamu’s petition for failing to support their pleadings with evidence as well as abandoning some pleadings in their petition.

    Justice Badamasi, who upheld the election of Governor Godwin Obaseki, ruled that many witnesses called by the petitioners were discredited during cross-examination because they allegedly gave hearsay evidence.

    Respondents in the appeal are: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Godwin Noghehgase Obaseki and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Among reliefs sought by the appellants is an order setting aside the decision of the tribunal and an order nullifying the return of the second respondent while declaring the first appellant validly elected.

    The appellants said the judges of the tribunal misdirected themselves and truncated their right to fair hearing by the “unequal treatment” allegedly given to the cases of the parties.

    They said the tribunal first found fault, discredited disbelieved and dismissed the petition of the appellants before considering and reviewing the testimonies of the witnesses of the respondents.

    The appellants insisted this caused a miscarriage of justice against them.

    They said the tribunal erred in law when it held that the testimonies of their witnesses from Akoko-Edo, Egor, Etsako Central, Etsako East, Orhionmwon, Ikpoba- Okha, Oredo, Igueben, Uhunmwode, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, Owan East, Owan West, Esan West and Etsako West local government areas, who were called to support the allegations, were unreliable.

    The appellants said the tribunal erred when it held that the testimonies of their witnesses were hearsay and that they were discredited under cross-examination, when this was not true legally and factually.

    The appellants said the tribunal misdirected itself and caused a miscarriage of justice against them when it held that the testimony of PW 1, (first appellant) was hearsay evidence and that he did not give evidence on the exhibits tendered before the tribunal, when a proper and dispassionate consideration of his testimony showed he gave evidence that was believable, cogent and demonstrated the exhibits tendered before the tribunal.

    They contended that the trial tribunal erred in law by holding that the Manual for the Election Officials, 2016, was merely an administrative document and that Exhibit 2RO64 and IRO22(1) had abolished the ticking for accreditation on the voters’ register.

    The appellants said the tribunal erred in law by disregarding the report of ballot papers recount ordered by it when legally and factually it was prevented from doing so.

    The petitioners averred that the tribunal erred in law by holding that mere tendering of some documents by the first respondent was enough to exculpate the first respondent from calling or adducing evidence and that the first respondent did not abandon its defence which is contrary to be position of the law.

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal.

  • Council poll: Four feared dead at screening

    Four persons were feared killed yesterday at Silver Crescent, Surulere, over screening of aspirants for Local Government Chairmanship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A fight reportedly broke out after the news got to the aspirants that some of them may not make the list.

    Some of the aspirants were said to have accepted the outcome until some hoodlums attacked one another on their way to Ojuelegba.

    Witnesses said the factions were dissatisfied with the result of the screening, noting that their preferred candidates may have been screened out.

    “What happened was that they held the APC screening here and a female aspirant came top. Before we knew, these guys started fighting and killing one another. They probably don’t like the woman’s face. Those fighting came from other areas because most of the people here were not involved in the matter,” a resident said.

    Abubakar, a trader under the Ojuelegba Bridge said: “The fight started between some area boys around AP filling station before it extended here. We just saw several guys coming with bottles, sticks and other objects. They also carried some guys already injured. Most of us ran away before they could descend on us.”

    A passer-by told The Nation that corpses littered the road as of 6:40pm.

    He said the fight was political, adding that no policeman was insight at that time. According to him, people scampered to safety as gun wielding hoodlums held sway. Contacted, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander Tunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) said only one person was killed.

    He said: “Around 5pm, individuals returning from mock primary councillorship election at Surulere were attacked by unknown hoodlums in front of Guarantee Trust Bank, along Funsho Williams Avenue.

    “Patrol teams were quickly mobilized to the scene. The teams recovered body of a yet to be identified man, with gunshot injury. The body was photographed and evacuated to Mainland General Hospital, Yaba for autopsy. Effort is on to arrest those responsible.”

  • Lagos Council poll: forum vows to resist imposition of candidates

    Lagos Council poll: forum vows to resist imposition of candidates

    A group, the forum of Agbado-Oke-Odo Grassroots Association have urged the leaders of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) to organise credible primaries for chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.

    The group warned that imposition of candidates may spell doom for the party during the council poll.

    In a statement in Lagos, the group said: “We are using this opportunity to appeal to the ruling All Progressive Congress APC to be cautious of who they present as Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates in Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA in the forthcoming Council Elections in Lagos State.

    “This has become urgent and imperative as a reaction to information making the rounds suggesting that the leadership of the party is considering some former council chairmen for automatic second term tickets.

    “We are of the opinion that if such consideration exists at all, it should be based on a readily verifiable record of sterling performance and service to the communities in the course of the initial term of three years of the former chairman.

    “We hereby restate with emphasis that such a situation does not arise at all in Agbado/Oke-Odo LCDA! Most of the previous administrations neither have nothing to justify the resources available to them nor the confidence reposed in them by the electorates who voted them into office to be considered for a second term.

    “To the contrary, their tenures were marked by rancorous relationships with all well-meaning individuals and associations such as the Community Development Associations, Grassroots Associations, artisans, market men and women, youth associations and leaders of thought and even their own party at the local level levels. It will be in the best interest of the party to refrain from fielding such candidates.”

    The group added: “What we need now that the attention of the state government is focused on some of our communities with the upgrading of some our critical road infrastructure is purposeful governance at the LCDA!

    “It will be the only way to significantly complement the efforts of the Ambode Administration and none of the previous elected council chairman had demonstrated the capacity to fit the bill in the course of their earlier opportunities.

    “Finally, parties are advised to search critically within their ranks for sellable men of integrity with proven records of service to humanity as leadership in the Local Government should no longer be considered as job for the boys.”

  • Kebbi to conduct council poll in July

    The Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KESIEC) has released the time-table for the next local government elections in the state.

    The Chairman of the commission, Hon. Aliyu Muhammed Mera, who disclosed this to reporters in Birnin-Kebbi, the state capital, said the election will take place in the 21 local government areas in July.

    He said this will enable the political parties, stake holders and the general public to make the necessary preparations for the exercise.

    He said nomination forms, contacts and other relevant documents pertaining to the election are available at the secretariat of the commission.

    The commission implored stakeholders to co-operate to make the election free, fair and credible. Mera said about 28 political parties are expected to participate in the  election.

  • Anambra poll: Can Nwoye succeed Obiano?

    Anambra poll: Can Nwoye succeed Obiano?

    In this piece, Dr Peter Ekweme states that the pedegree of the aspirants will determine how far they can go in the party primaries and the governorship election in Anambra State.

    It is laughable that rivals could resort to the gutter to press against the front line governorship aspirant for the upcoming Anambra State gubernatorial election, Comrade Dr Tony Okey Nwoye. The online rant by one Aniagbaso is even more so.

    In this era of social media, misfits sit in the dark corners of their dark rooms and from their disturbed dark minds spew forth unfounded lies which the undiscerning and unsuspecting can fall for, hence my decision to put down these clarifications for record purposes as a concerned citizen of Anambra State who has a duty of patriotism to tell the truth as he knows it.

    Firstly, only the uninformed will consider that crap about Tony ever being linked to the horrible murder of Barrister Igwe and his wife. As at that time, young Tony was still far away from Anambra State politics. He was not even remotely involved. For such a high profile case, it is instructive that NEVER had Tony’s name ever been linked to that despicable crime. And he has run for the House of Representatives twice and was the governorship candidate of a major political party. Not once did this come up! The little matter of the confessant not being able to correctly name such a close buddy, consistently writing ‘Nwonye’ instead of ‘Nwoye’ readily gives the faceless con artist away for what he is – a very cheap scammer.

    But the one that takes the cake in that incongruous litany of fables is the allegation that Tony Nwoye belonged to a cult group while in school. Nothing can be further from the truth. Tony Nwoye had his university education in University of Nigeria (both Nsukka and Enugu campuses), and Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. These are public institutions whose records the public can readily avail themselves of. Not for once was he ever accused from any quarters of belonging to a cult group. Not even the authorities he severally stood up against could trump up such charges against him.

    The records of the universities’ security departments can readily be referred to and cross checked for this. Those at the helm of the schools he attended are all still alive and can be reached to get a clarification on Tony’s antecedents in school, even a characterisation of his persona. Tony NEVER was a member of any cult group! If anything, he deployed his time as a student leader both at the Enugu campus of UNN and much latter, at the national level (NANS) to campaign against cultism and campus violence. The records are there for those interested in truth and facts!

    The other frivolities of kidnap, arson and their likes do not deserve any serious response. Anyone who knows Tony Nwoye can attest to the fact that his humaneness and innate detest for any form of oppression, repression and impugning on human dignity will never let him get involved in such acts. By his very nature, the Tony Nwoye I know so well simply cannot descend that low. I was in College of Medicine, University of Nigeria with Tony Nwoye at about the same time (I was a class ahead of him). We were active in the politics of University of Nigeria Medical Students Association (UNMSA). We were together in the Students Union Government House of Representatives. We even contested against each other for the Speakership of the SUG House of Representatives.

    It is the stock in trade of dirty politics to try to impugn the character of adversaries but there is limit below which any self respecting politician should never descend. Fabrication of such wicked outright lies against an opponent this early in the contest will do the fabricator no good. The candidates should stick to issues, and there are many! We want to hear of their solutions to the myriads of problems confronting our dear state, Anambra. We want to hear of their strides in their former or present positions towards improving the lot of the common Anambra man. They may do well to provide us with verifiable accounts of their personal efforts in their personal capacities towards alleviating the suffering of private citizens of Anambra – the indigent, the unemployed, the widows, the orphans, downtrodden women and neglected children.

    We want plans, initiatives, strategies and policy proposals; not poorly crafted lies,  baseless propaganda and cheap blackmails. That crap by the faceless Anagbaso belongs to the latter. Because it is incoherent, facts challenged and downright pedestrian, it is, as Shakespeare would say, nothing but *”a tale told by an idiot – full of sound and fury but signifying nothing.”*

    It shall be well with Anambra State.

    Indeed, it MUST be well with Anambra state.

    God bless Nigeria ©

    C. Ekwueme is the Secretary of the Nigerian Medical Association, Enugu State branch.

  • Anambra poll: three chieftains declare interest in IDP ticket

    Anambra poll: three chieftains declare interest in IDP ticket

    The Independent Democrat Party (IDP)  is set for its congress in Anambra State, ahead of the governorship election.

    Its Chairman, Mazi Omife  Omife, told reporters in Awka, the state capital,  that three chieftains have indicated interest in the governorship race in the party.

    He said the party will conduct a credible primary for the aspirants.

    Omife assured that the contestants would be given a level playing ground to avoid a post-primary crisis.

    He said the primary would be witnessed by the national officers  and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Omife said the congress, which would hold at the ward, local government and state levels would take place between this month and next month.

    He said the IDP membership was drawn mostly from former and serving town nion Presidents Generals, adding that there will be an effective mobilisation for the poll.

    He said efforts will be made to enlighten the people about the manifestos of the party, ahead of the exercise.

    Omife said: “The IDP has come to liberate the people of Anambra State from years of socio-economic bondage and exploitation by the so-called big parties and unconscionable politicians.”

  • INEC opens defence in Edo guber poll suit

    INEC  on Friday opened its defence in the petition filed by the PDP  and its candidate in the Sept. 28, 2016  governorship election in Edo,  Mr  Osagie Ize-Iyamu, before  the Justice Ahmed Badamasi three-member tribunal in Benin.

    The PDP and its candidate are challenging the declaration by INEC of  Godwin Obaseki of the APC as  winner of the election.

    The petitioners  listed INEC, Obaseki and the APC as first, second and third respondents respectively.

    The petitioners on Feb. 10 closed their case after calling 91 witnesses and tendering  several documentary pieces of evidence before the tribunal.

    At the resumed hearing on Friday, INEC counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN),  Mr Onyeachi Ikpeazu,  informed the tribunal that his client was  ready to open its case although witnesses may not be called.

    “ We  have led copious evidence through cross examination of the petitioners’  witnesses.

    “We propose to tender few documents when we need to confront them and enhance evidence already led and  at the end of which, if need be, we will call witnesses,’’ he said.

    Ikpeazu thereafter sought the tribunal’s permission to tender as evidence  10 copies of form EC8B, being ward collation result for wards  in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of the state .

    Counsel to the   petitioners (Ize-Iyamu and PDP),  Mr Kemi Pinheiro,  counsel to Obaseki,  Mr Ken Mozia  and APC’s lawyer, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, all did  not oppose the application for tender.

    Pinheiro , however, observed that since the documents sought to be tendered as evidence by INEC were same as those before the tribunal as exhibits, “it will make proceeding smoother if we harmonise the documents with a schedule during trial,’’

    He argued that the form EC8B document tendered was the  same as exhibit PO4(154-163) tendered by the petitioners.

    “ If not harmonised for different exhibit numbers, this will  create precipice of confusion.

    “I am saying that since the petitioners’ document and those sought to be  tendered by INEC are from same source, I  thought INEC should call oral witness to identify the exhibits before the tribunal,’’ he said.

    Ipeazu, however,  replied saying,  “we have brought documents we have front loaded to support our case. They have done theirs; it is not for the petitioners to determine  how we should organise our defence even if these documents are the  same.’’

    “ I am therefore asking for  an adjournment to Monday  while I  concede to the suggestion that parties examine the documents sought to be tendered.

    “I also intend to interact with electoral officers we may call as to who  I  wish to tender as witnesses,’’ he added.

    Ruling, the tribunal  chairman admitted the documents as exhibit IR(1-10)  and ordered INEC to serve the petitioners and the other respondents with its schedule of the other documents to be tendered before the tribunal.

    Badamasi also ruled that parties should use Saturday to examine INEC documents sought to be tendered and adjourned till Monday.(NAN)